inoculate
[ ih-nok-yuh-leyt ]
/ ɪˈnɒk yəˌleɪt /
verb (used with object), in·oc·u·lat·ed, in·oc·u·lat·ing.
to implant (a disease agent or antigen) in a person, animal, or plant to produce a disease for study or to stimulate disease resistance.
to affect or treat (a person, animal, or plant) in this manner.
to introduce (microorganisms) into surroundings suited to their growth, as a culture medium.
to imbue (a person), as with ideas.
Metallurgy.
to treat (molten metal) chemically to strengthen the microstructure.
verb (used without object), in·oc·u·lat·ed, in·oc·u·lat·ing.
to perform inoculation.
Origin of inoculate
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin
inoculātus past participle of
inoculāre to graft by budding, implant, equivalent to
in-
in-2 +
-oculā- (stem of
-oculāre to graft, derivative of
oculus eye, bud) +
-tus past participle suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM inoculate
Words nearby inoculate
ino,
inobservance,
inobtrusive,
inoculable,
inoculant,
inoculate,
inoculation,
inoculum,
inodorous,
inoffensive,
inofficious
Example sentences from the Web for inoculated
British Dictionary definitions for inoculated
inoculate
/ (ɪˈnɒkjʊˌleɪt) /
verb
to introduce (the causative agent of a disease) into the body of (a person or animal), in order to induce immunity
(tr)
to introduce (microorganisms, esp bacteria) into (a culture medium)
(tr)
to cause to be influenced or imbued, as with ideas or opinions
Derived forms of inoculate
inoculation, noun inoculative, adjective inoculator, nounWord Origin for inoculate
C15: from Latin
inoculāre to implant, from
in- ² +
oculus eye, bud
Medical definitions for inoculated
inoculate
[ ĭ-nŏk′yə-lāt′ ]
v.
To introduce a serum, a vaccine, or an antigenic substance into the body of a person or an animal, especially as a means to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease.
To implant microorganisms or infectious material into or on a culture medium.
To communicate a disease to a living organism by transferring its causative agent into the organism.